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Health: Incontinence Items

Answer

The prices of the services they provide is a commercial matter for providers and not something the department is looking at as part of the Part IX review it is conducting. The review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff is concerned with what the National Health Service pays for items and for services. The department is trying to ensure that there is transparency for the NHS between the reimbursement price for items and remuneration for services provided; there is none today. The department also wants to ensure that the NHS and the taxpayer are getting value for money. In addition, a key objective is to maintain and improve the quality of patient care. This is why there have been two recent consultations. One set out proposals for reimbursement levels for item price, Arrangements for the reimbursement pricing of stoma and incontinence appliances under Part IX of the Drug Tariff. The other, Arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within Part IX of the Drug Tariff, set out proposals relating to service provision, both what that service should be and the remuneration that the NHS would make for such services. Here the intent was to ensure fair remuneration of valued services provided by the pharmacy and appliance contractors. It was also designed to make sure that the services provided by all dispensing contractors are to the same standard no matter where in England a user of appliances may live. Given the volume of the responses to the consultation, the department has decided that it needs more time to analyse the information provided. Consequently, no changes will be implemented in July 2007 as proposed in the consultation documents.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

3939; 692 c232WA

Session

2006-07

Subjects

NHS Pay Pharmacy Prices Prescriptions Medical equipment Incontinence

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk